Undreaming the Fairytales (WH)
by Isamenot
Summary: Fairytales – every world has its own fairytales, narrations of the unbelievable, stories of good fortune and wonders. But what if those fairytales turn out to be true? Would they still be the same? It is time to undream the fairytales.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 _The Tale of the First King and the Dragon of Time_

 _Once upon a time, a man lived upon these very soils. He went by the name of Claude Molders and was known near and far for his wisdom and the gifts he had been bestowed with upon his birth. These gifts enabled him to talk with animals or to summon up rain in times of draught. Still, for all his power, there was only one thing this man was striving for – the prosperity of the land and its people. Aid for this endeavour, he found within his thirteen daughters and his only son._

 _One morning, when his youngest daughter, Claudia, a fair girl that just had reached the age of marriage, was out to gather herbs and flowers, she saw a shadow soaring above her in the sky. The shadow then descended atop a nearby mountain. The girl furrowed her brow because she had seen that it meant a great change to come._

 _So, the girl gathered her things and ran back home where she found her father staring out into the distance, looking upon the mountain. When he realized that his daughter had returned, a worried look upon her face, he smiled sadly._

" _I know, my child", Claude Molders told her. "I know. Things will not be the same anymore."_

 _That night, just as they were about to settle in for sleep, a knock was heard on their door. When Claude Molders opened it, he found two wanderers there asking for a place for the night. Claude Molders knew from the moment he laid eyes on those wanderers that they were the men that had arrived that morning on the mountain, the men that were to bring change. And though Claude Molders was unsettled by their presence, the law of hospitality that may never be broken demanded of him to grant their wish. Thus, he welcomed the strangers and had his daughters prepare some beds and a quick meal for them._

 _But as soon as the two wanderers had lain down to sleep, the man called his children to warn them; for he knew that one of the men was indeed a dragon, a powerful being that often brought along misfortune, a being that should never be challenged._

" _Beware them!", Claude Molders demanded. "Beware them and do not get close to them! Always remember that time and fate are a fickle pair. More so, whenever they play together!"_

 _The words of their father in mind, his children retreated for the night, while Claude Molders went out to consult with the stars. And what he found in them, only seemed to confirm his fears._

 _As dawn came, Claudia again went out to a nearby hill to gather flowers and herbs. And there, in the light of the rising morning sun, she was approached by one of the men who introduced himself to be Siegfried, new regent and first king of the land he had arrived in, a land he decided to name "Gedonelune"._

" _Forgive me, mylord", Claudia dared to say, "but this land knows no king."_

" _You are right", Siegfried answered her. "This land so far had neither rule nor lord. It only relied on your father's wisdom. But from this very day on, it shall be ruled and shall know its lord; for I, Siegfried, shall make it mine and lead it to a golden age, to prosperity and felicity that shall last for many generations to come." He then knelt down, continuing to speak. "But all this glory awaiting me, will be for naught, can I not receive what my heart desires most. My heart that was taken by your beauty." For Siegfried had fallen for Claudia the moment he had laid eyes on her the previous night and now she was all he could think of._

 _But Claudia, fearing the rule of a king, humbled herself, claiming not to be worthy of such attention and left Siegfried behind on the hill._

 _Many days went by, and Siegfried never tired in his attempts to court the beautiful girl. He would take her out across the land, show her everything she desired. He told her of his visions, his plans he had for these lands and how he would achieve them. He promised to always heed her father's word, he promised to honour her all of his life if only she was willing to become his wife. But no matter how he pleaded, Claudia continued to deny his wish. She still feared what Siegfried was meant to become; she still saw the worries in her father's eyes; and she had come to love the second wanderer, Hugo, the Dragon of Time. And though, her father had warned his children to be more than wary of him, she could not help falling for that man when he started to show her how to use the gifts granted to her, how she would be able to really see._

 _Thus, a year went by, and the two wanderers still remained at Claude Molders' side. The change that was feared, yet meant to be, did not take place, for Siegfried was not willing to purchase his plans any further if he could not obtain the blessing and consent of Claude Molders and Claudia as his wife. But since Claudia still refused all of Siegfried's pleading, it was Hugo who decided to resolve this situation._

 _Thus, Hugo went to Siegfried to take his farewell._

" _My friend", he spoke. "The time for us to part has come. But fear not for I shall never leave your side or that of your kingdom. I will retreat into the forests nearby where I will turn myself to stone and thus will for times to come guard these lands and the past and future of those descending from you."_

 _Siegfried was struck by the dragon's words. He never had fathomed to lose his wise friend; but no matter what he said he could not dissuade the dragon. And soon after, the word spread about the petrified guardian._

 _Claudia, upon hearing what happened, grew discouraged. She feared now more than ever for the inevitable to become true, when all she wanted was to return to Hugo's side._

 _And so, in the darkness of a new moon night, she ran away. She ran away into the forests until she found the stone dragon. Unable to bring him back to life, the girl fell to her knees and wept for a long time._

 _It was close to morning when her tears finally stopped flowing; and in the blue glow of the approaching dawn, Claudia set out to fulfil the resolution she had found. She was quick in gathering the herbs she needed and even quicker in brewing them into a potion to make her sleep through days and nights without end. The girl settled down at the dragon's feet and without hesitation swallowed the bitter liquid. As soon as the first drop grazed her lips, she sank down motionlessly._

 _This was the state she was in when Siegfried, coming to take a look upon his lost friend, found Claudia. He rushed to her side, but found he had no cure to warm her cool skin, to redden her pale cheeks, to deepen her shallow breathing. She could not hear his whispers, she would not answer to his shrieks; she remained like a corpse in his arms._

 _Thinking he had now lost not only his friend but his love as well, Siegfried knew he had to carry on, regardless of how much pain it would cause him, regardless that he felt the need to tear out his own heart. To carry on, to fulfil his destiny was the only way he could honour their sacrifices._

 _And honour their sacrifices he would._

 _Holding Claudia still in his arms, he leaned down to the maiden to kiss her lips, to take in this way his farewell and promise to her eternally the love that she had refused. The moment his lips parted from hers, Claudia drew in a deep breath and opened her eyes. It was in this moment, in the light of the morning sun that the girl realized that she had been wrong. Looking into Siegfried's eyes, seeing the sorrow and sadness on his face, she agreed to become his wife._

 _Soon after, they held their marriage and founded the kingdom of Gedonelune. Siegfried made Claude Molders his first counsellor. For their friend and guardian, the petrified Dragon of Time, they built a tower deep within the forest and put his stone body to rest on the upmost floor._

 _Up to this day, this tower is known as the Tower of Sorrow._

(From "Wondrous Tales of Gedonelune" by C.M.)


	2. The Sounds of Silence

**Chapter 1 – The Sounds of Silence**

Once again, she was roaming through the dark hallways of the ancient building, that castle that had been her home for almost longer than she could remember, trying to ensure the safety of its inhabitants as well as all its secrets.

It was night time, the moon hidden somewhere behind the clouds in the sky. All the students, that had not gone home to see their families during the break, were – hopefully - lodged safely in their dorm rooms fast asleep or spent a peaceful night in one way or other. The new school year was approaching fast; only a few days remained until the new students were arriving for their trial period. Not all of them would be allowed to stay to study to their hearts contents; but for each of the pre-chosen ones an acceptance letter was prepared, a letter that was waiting to be sent to its respective recipient as soon as dawn would come.

The woman paused by a window. A soothing melody could be heard through the crack that had been left open. Someone was singing down in the courtyard, presumably one of the spellsingers. It wasn't often that she could listen to such songs, and part of her wondered if the boy wasn't cold out there in the hazy air of a late winter night. The song continued on, almost like a prayer, asking for a good year, to be able to regain what had been lost. It made her smile and reminded her that among the new students was one of _his_ descendants.

How long had it been since last one of them had entered the academy? Ten years? Fifteen? Twenty? She couldn't remember. Not that it really mattered in the end. Her and him, they had been around this world for far too long for it to matter anymore. At least, as far as she was concerned. With him it was a whole different story. She knew that, like she always knew. Though he was certain, that none of his relatives remembered him anymore, he was looking forward to see his descendants every single time; and every single time, he watched them move on, venturing in to their own life, until they disappeared from his world forever.

The woman smiled bitterly as she closed the window, shutting out the melody that suddenly felt lonesome. She was glad that the man had decided to let his mind rest this evening and that all she saw, heard and felt during these dark hours would only be hazy, dream-like memories to him.

Continuing on her way, she turned left into the corridor, where the offices of the professors were located as well as her destination, the headmaster's office at the end of the hall. But yet again, the woman stopped on her way when she was passing the office of the unofficial vice-principal of the academy, Professor Schuyler. She could feel a presence behind the closed door that definitely did not belong there, but that she knew quite well, nevertheless.

For a moment, the woman considered entering the office to interrupt the intruder, but then she turned away leaving the prankster to whatever business he had to deal with.

Sometimes, it was necessary to let unplanned things unfold.

* * *

Clad in thick woolen cloaks, wrapped in scarves and gloves, the girls made their way through the forest, each carrying a bundle of wood in their arms. They were lucky that it did not snow last night; but still, the ground was muddy and the air cold, transforming each of their breaths into rising white fog.

The eighteen years old Liz Hart, a girl white brown hair tied into two pigtails, was glad that the winter would be over soon. Though, she did not mind that season specifically, she preferred the months of spring and summer much more. Those were always full of life and laughter. True, the children had been running around the village during winter as well, they had their snowball fights or built snowmen on every possible occasion; but for Liz everything seemed so dulled and silent, like the world had been put under a glass. Cattle and sheep and fowl were sheltered in their barns, and she hardly saw any bird during that time of year. Considering that she was quite close to every animal out there, it always made her feel lonely – especially, since the death of her parents.

Therefore, she couldn't help the smile now crawling onto her face when she first heard – and then saw – a robin on a branch not to far above her head. Its chest gleamed in a bright red. Liz felt as if she had not seen such a bird all through the winter, seeing it now felt like a relief and could only be a signal that spring was a finally approaching.

The girl stopped and watched the small bird as it hopped along the branch, cocking its head and eyed the girls, until something cold hit the back of her head.

"Daydreaming again, Liz", she heard one of the girls asking as she herself turned around rubbing her head while balancing her bundle of wood with the other arm.

"No", Liz answered as she went over to the other girls. "Just watched a robin for a moment and listened to what it had to say."

"Yeah, right. Whatever. We need to get back. There is still some work to be done for tomorrow."

The girls started waking again.

Tomorrow, they would be celebrating the Janery festival in Reitz village, a festival that took leave of the winter and welcomed spring. It was one of Liz' favourite festivals. All villagers would gather around a huge bonfire that burnt all way till dawn. There would be singing and dancing and a feast for everyone after they had been fasting for the last few weeks. Just thinking about it made Liz feel warm and giddy inside. The smile came back to her lips and she started to hum.

"So, what did it tell you?"

Looking up, Liz saw that Lily, one of the older girls, had walked up to her.

"Who had told me what?"

"The bird", Lily answered. It was known to every villager that Liz had the ability to talk to and understand animals. It was a skill that could only be found among wizards and the people of Reitz were very proud to have their own little wizardess. "Whatever that robin had told, had you smiling brightly. So, I was wondering. You usually tell us right away."

"Oh, it was nothing special. It just seems, it was around already last year and so it recognized some of us. Well, and it obviously remembered last year, too. It was waiting for us to start singing, so that it could prove that it is a far superior singer."

The girls laughed. Since none of the others shared Liz' ability, they never knew for sure if their friend told the truth or was making up a story – though it was pretty hard to imagine the brown-haired girl telling a lie -, but nevertheless, it was always entertaining.

When the laughter had died down, Liz spoke to Lily again in a lowered voice. "Say, Lily. I know, I'm probably getting on your nerves by now. But can't you really teach me no magic?"

Lily stopped in her tracks, a frown on her face as she stared Liz into the eyes. "How often did we have this conversation?", she said sternly. "I cannot do magic, Liz. I have no magical abilities whatsoever."

Liz dropped her head. Those were the words she had heard so often, but still she could not help asking the other woman over and over again. She just could not quench the feeling that Lily actually possessed magical powers, but did not want for anyone to know. Though Liz loved to be a wizardess, it was very hard for her to perform magic. No matter what she did and how hard she tried she kept messing up the spells; and this fact made her feel sick inside, it made her feel like she disappointed the expectations of the villagers, and it made her feel lonely. No one else in Reitz had magical abilities.

Lily stepped closer to Liz, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I know, Liz", she continued in a whisper. "You long for someone who is like you, who can help you with your magic. But I can't change what I am. I'm sorry."

Liz sighed. "I still believe, you are a wizardess", she answered. "You always seem to know of things before they happen."

"I do?", Lily asked curiously, cocking her head. "Not that I know of. Besides those are probably just coincidences. Maybe I'm just lucky with my intuition." And with that she started walking again.

"I don't think so", Liz tried to argue as she hurried to catch up. "You remember when the epidemic struck? They say you were in a complete panic days before and no one could calm you down or get what was up with you until it was too late. You knew what would happen, didn't you?"

Lily kept her eyes to the path in front of her, though Liz could see a bitter smile forming around the corner's of her lips.

"You know, sometimes you can be quite cruel." Lily took a deep breath. "Let's assume for a moment that what you said is true; what does it tell you about me? That I knew what would happen and I just let it happen? My parents died as well. Do you really think I wanted them to die?" As she went on, Lily's words became faster and faster, her voice got shaky until she had to pause for a moment, swallowing hard. "I hardly remember what had me scared at that time. All that is left is a strange, numbing, dull feeling. And I am not sure whether I had that feeling before the whole ordeal or not."

Liz dropped her head. Speaking of the epidemic that had taken place ten years ago was always a hard thing to do. Every family had lost at least one of its members. It had been a hard and fearsome time that followed. Some families had moved away to the nearby cities afterwards; and as time had gone by, mentioning the epidemic in the village had become a taboo.

"I'm sorry, Lily", Liz whispered, staring at her feet and the muddy path.

There was a silence as the girls trudged on, both resigning to their own – probably uncomfortable – thoughts.

"So, was it right?"

Liz looked to the girl beside her, not comprehending what Lily was trying to get at.

"The bird", the other girl explained. "Is it really better at singing than us?"

"Well, we could challenge it some time, I guess", Liz suggested laughingly, glad about the change of topic.

...

...

After they had stored away the wood at the tavern, the girls went home to prepare further for tomorrow or to see if they could help their families with something. Liz and Lily had the same direction, so they chatted while they walked.

The air of the village was filled with the smell of freshly baked bread and other goodies that would be served at the feast next day. It was a homely smell and it made Liz' stomach rumble, reminding her that she had not eaten since the early morning. She was contemplating what she might prepare for herself quickly before checking on the lambs that had been born that month when they arrived at Lily's house.

Old Kleo was sitting in the garden, a thick woollen shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders and letting her feet dangle in the snow. The old woman had taken in the children that had lost their parents during the epidemic and raised them as long as they needed. Liz herself had also stayed with her for a few weeks before she had decided to move back into her parents house. Lily had been the only one to remain with the old woman and was now helping her as the village healer. Kleo smiled when she saw the two girls, waved to them before walking over to them.

"There is someone waiting for you in the house, Lily", she said.

Lily furrowed her brow, then took her leave from Liz and went inside. Kleo stayed outside and looked down at Liz with her twinkling eyes. Despite her age, the old woman was fairly tall and still stood up straight. Now that Liz thought about it, old Kleo always stood up straight, she could not remember having seen her ever slumped over or with hanging shoulders.

"So, child, is everything going fine?", Kleo asked the girl keeping her gaze.

For a moment Liz thought she could see something in the old woman's eyes, but she could not pin it down what exactly it was. "Yes, everything is just fine."

"You still have all herbs you need for treating the animals? If there should ever be a lack of anything, do not hesitate to come by and ask for some."

"Thank you for the offer, Kleo. I'll make sure to remember it if I should need something."

"Please do", the old woman said, still keeping her eyes intently on Liz. "You know, child. It was such a pity when you left my house all those years ago. But we are all proud that you managed to get by on your own and that you became such a fine young lass."

Liz could her cheeks heating up. It was not often that she received any compliments. It was just not necessary in the village. They all knew each other so well that they understood a lot of things without them actually being said. There never seemed to be the need for such praise, Liz knew it anyway, could see it in the posture and looks of the villagers. Hearing those words directly, made her proud and embarrassed at the same time.

"Thank you, Kleo", she whispered, and then with a sudden new found energy: "I'll do my best to keep it that way."

"I'm sure you will, child, I'm sure you will", the old woman laughed, finally breaking the eye contact as she drew the shawl tighter around herself. "You must forgive me. I would love to chat a bit longer with you but the cold has started to get to my bones these days, and I would hate to fall ill now that the end of winter is nigh." She gave Liz a pat on the shoulder and then went inside the house.

* * *

It was pouring onto Gedonelune City, the capital of the kingdom of Gedonelune. The rain had started around dusk and had continued on keeping most people inside their houses. But neither the rain coming down nor the darkness of the nightly hours had prevented the man hood drawn deep down to wander around town. He did not know how long he had been outside neither did he care. He just started fumbling for something inside his cloak until he found the thin case. Leaning against the wall of a house, he opened it up and lit a cigarette.

Taking a slow, deliberate drag, the leaned his head back staring into the nothingness of a stormy night. The two places he hated most on all earth were close by.

To his left, towering above the city was the royal castle. Even with the rain coming down as heavy as it was, he could see numerous windows illuminated by warm, golden shine of magical lighting orbs. It only made the city seem darker and hopeless or if perceived with a cynical mind as neglected and forsaken by its patrons. But the castle was not what he was interested in that much right now. It should not prove too difficult to get in there should the need arise.

No, what he was most interested in – and had him worried – was the Gedonelune Royal Magical Academy. Usually it could be seen just fine from the place where he was standing, but on this night it had vanished completely within the darkness of the storm. He had to get in there, needed to get in, to pry into its secrets and treasures. Unfortunately, entering the school grounds was not easy. The walls and gates guarding the vast territory were under the rule of headmaster Randolph, a more than just formidable wizard. His name was known throughout the kingdom, and, though, the man himself was alive, he had become something similar to a legend. It was said that no one could enter without Randolph's consent; and so far, his first cautious attempts to get in seemed to have proven this. He would need time to work around the protection spells and find its weakness or he needed to get an accomplice on the inside.

That had been part of the reason he had been roaming around the land lately, to find possible candidates he could get to co-operate with him.

He breathed out the smoke and watched as it quickly disappeared in the rain, calming his mind.

It did not matter to him what he needed to do as long as he would get what he wanted. And he had one major advantaged over most other people: he had time, he could afford to wait as long as it was necessary. He only had to remind himself of that at times. There was no need to rush.

With several more slow drags he finished his cigarette, tossing the cigarette stub onto the ground. He kept leaning at the wall, staring into nothingness and listening to those silent whispers hidden in the rain.


End file.
